I was teaching a private pilot in a piper J-3 cub. The purpose was for a 'tailwheel' endorsement. On a go around from a too high flare, the left wheel touched down and I heard a cracking noise. Upon visual inspection, I saw the wheel was bent under the airplane. I made several low passes over the hangar to get the FBO's attention (no radio in the cub). We communicated by way of dropping notes and a bull horn on a pick up truck blasting down the runway while I flew low next the runway. I circled the airport for 2 hours to burn fuel. After several passes on the pickup truck to confirm landing instructions, the student and I made 'face- pads' out of seat cushions because the PA-J-3 has no shoulder harness. On final approach, I turned off the fuel, had the student brace for impact, and landed on the dirt next to the runway (it was softer). Keeping the aircraft on the right wheel only. I was able to avoid the 50 people and 7 fire trucks. The plane was almost to a stop when the left wing touched. Minimal damage to the paint on the wingtip.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TRAINEE CHKING OUT IN A TAILDRAGGER PIPER J-3 CUB MADE HARD LNDG ON 1 MAIN GEAR RESULTING IN THE BREAKING OF THE GEAR AND A SUBSEQUENT FORCED LNDG ON THE ARPT.

Narrative: I WAS TEACHING A PVT PLT IN A PIPER J-3 CUB. THE PURPOSE WAS FOR A 'TAILWHEEL' ENDORSEMENT. ON A GAR FROM A TOO HIGH FLARE, THE L WHEEL TOUCHED DOWN AND I HEARD A CRACKING NOISE. UPON VISUAL INSPECTION, I SAW THE WHEEL WAS BENT UNDER THE AIRPLANE. I MADE SEVERAL LOW PASSES OVER THE HANGAR TO GET THE FBO'S ATTN (NO RADIO IN THE CUB). WE COMMUNICATED BY WAY OF DROPPING NOTES AND A BULL HORN ON A PICK UP TRUCK BLASTING DOWN THE RWY WHILE I FLEW LOW NEXT THE RWY. I CIRCLED THE ARPT FOR 2 HRS TO BURN FUEL. AFTER SEVERAL PASSES ON THE PICKUP TRUCK TO CONFIRM LNDG INSTRUCTIONS, THE STUDENT AND I MADE 'FACE- PADS' OUT OF SEAT CUSHIONS BECAUSE THE PA-J-3 HAS NO SHOULDER HARNESS. ON FINAL APCH, I TURNED OFF THE FUEL, HAD THE STUDENT BRACE FOR IMPACT, AND LANDED ON THE DIRT NEXT TO THE RWY (IT WAS SOFTER). KEEPING THE ACFT ON THE R WHEEL ONLY. I WAS ABLE TO AVOID THE 50 PEOPLE AND 7 FIRE TRUCKS. THE PLANE WAS ALMOST TO A STOP WHEN THE L WING TOUCHED. MINIMAL DAMAGE TO THE PAINT ON THE WINGTIP.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.